Rememberance For The Sake Of Hope&Health
by DoodleTaffy
Summary: I had to do this for history.Its about a medievil peasent and their revoloution for better healthcare.It sounds cheesey but i like it pls r&r.


Phillip Cassidy stood on the top of the daffodil covered hill and watched Jasmine, his leading lady work in their house. It was not much of a house, but complaining about their living conditions did them no good, they were peasants, they did not expect much from their noble. She was lovely, she had wavy blonde hair they color of wheat grain, which had a widow's peak on her oval shaped face with large brown eyes.. He smiled at her, he was proud of her, she was a revolutionary. It was her who gathered up the other serfs to plead with the noble for better medical treatment on the manor. While they both did their part it seemed that Jasmine pulled out a side of her that he did not know existed. It took both of them and their sick children to change the ways of the manor. It was a daring journey but it was one that had to be done. Even though it occurred a little over a year ago he could recall it as though it was last week.

It was a brisk day in autumn on their manor when Phillip's eight year old daughter, Elizabeth had fell ill for the 7th time that month, and their four year old, Isabelle was not doing so well either. Phillip had to work with his crew out in the fields, only leaving their side if Elizabeth became close to death. Every autumn and spring him and nineteen other of the manor men worked in the gardens, during the summer and winter they worked on the noble, Daniel Hoffstine's estate-inside his house or on his lawn. Phillip was close to a few of the peasants but only had a few that he considered 'friends', one of which was Rick Mink, him and Phillip had grown up together. They did not care much for one another until when Phillip was about nine years old; he was out in the fields trying to hide from their then noble leader ,Jackson Leandfer. He was playing in Leandfer's barn when he accidentally ruined one of his murals that Leandfer had set out to dry, it was estimated to be worth fifty thousand dollars. While Phillip was running through the fields he fell in a gully full of mud briars, dirty swamp water, sticks, and who knows what else. Anyways Phillip had fallen pretty far into the hole, he sat there in the muck for a while just to make sure that Leandfer was gone, then has he tried to get up he realized he couldn't move his left leg and that his right shoulder had a gash in it. It was a pretty scary situation, he yelled and yelled for help, it was Rick Mink that had pulled him out (Rick is three years older than Phillip and still a lot stronger than the average boy his age.) It was also Mink who Phillip confided to about his daughters illnesses. Normally if someone in the village was sick or injured they could go to the castle for medical assistance, total of a three miles walk over rocky ground, which could be very dangerous since the serfs did not get help for their handicap until it was quite late in its work of infection or pain. Phillip had told Rick the symptoms Elizabeth had been having and he suspected it could have been smallpox. When Phillip heard this he panicked, Rick told him to calm down and that he was probably wrong.

"Look, it's still early in the day, we have a lot to plow, she will get better I know it. Come on let's get

started, it's probably not smallpox, I should not of mentioned that too you."

"Yea, you are probably right." Phillip responded with a sigh as he wiped his brow, picked up his hoe and started plowing some more under the warm glare of the autumn sun.

Phillip was for the most part muscular, but not nearly as large as Rick.(Not many men were.) He has curly black hair with as small square chin and emerald eyes with some brown splattered in them if you looked straight at him. He had a 'brunet' tan. He was quite a religious man and prayed often. More so it seemed when Elizabeth became ill again. One night a couple of weeks after Mink's prediction Elizabeth became very hot and shaky. Phillip and Jasmine were so scared for her, Phillip cried. Soon though he stopped sobbing. He wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt and banged his fist on the their small table. The noise had woken up little Isabelle.

"Mum, what's wrong with Daddy?' The worried four year old asked.

"It's Elizabeth, she's very sick and he's upset that, that.." She glanced at him for an answer.

"I'm upset because she could probably get better if we just had the medication on hand. " He said in a griping voice. Then, even though it was late at night he marched out of his shack and up the hill to Hoffstine's castle.

As he ran up that hill, which seemed forever long, he thought and thought of what he would say to his master and, how. Finally, he came up with a plan. He banged on Hoffstine's door, he was of course met by one of his servants.

"Excuse me, my name is Phillip Cassidy, I am one of Daniel's men-ugh, serfs, that is-and I would like to speak to him and a nurse please-it's urgent."

"Come in sir, I would like to help you, but Sir Hoffinstine is in a meeting at the moment, but I could probably get you in touch with one of our nurses, may I ask why do you need one?""It is my daughter mam, her name is Elizabeth, she's only eight years old and quite sick. I have a wife and another little girl, we are all very worried for her-she needs medicine fast. We assume it's Smallpox, but we're not sure. She has a really high fever and is shaking with heavy coughs and chills. It scares us all to death to think of what may come next if she does not get help soon.:The servants' face turned to from blank worried.

"Oh my, I am so sorry.- Here, come with me I'll diffidently get you our best nurse and doctor."

She grabbed his hand and rushed up the winding wide golden stairs, three flights to be exact and then down a long hall, where she stopped at the fourth door. She knocked, "Nurse Johnson, are you in-we need you- it's an emergency."

"Yes, I'm here." The door opened and there stood before them a woman with short brunette hair, her attire was made up of a long sleeve shirt, which was sandwiched between a brown tethered short-sleeved shirt underneath and on top of the long sleeved shirt was an off white, slightly dirty apron. She wore a heavy grayish brown skirt. After seemingly looking Phillip up and down (he had on loose overawes and a burnt orange t-shirt, plus he was barefoot-it was an obviously rare sight to see a serf in the kings palace.)

"What do you need?" She asked in a bothered tone.

"Um, Alice, this is Phillip Cassidy ,he's one of the serfs, his eight year old daughter is deathly sick and he needs your help immediately-he thinks she may have smallpox. He also has a four year old daughter with what they think may just me a cold, but they don't want nor need to take any risks with the older one being as sick as she is. He has a wife, he is not a widow- Jasmine is her name." "Oh, wow! Really? Well, in which section of the fief do you live in, wait-never mind that, just take me there.""Okay, lets go." he said with tears beginning to swell in his eyes once again, he said a silent prayer asking God to hold on to Elizabeth for just a bit longer and that Alice would be able to help them."

"Would you like me to go with you?"

Alice hesitated to answer, "Well, wait it would probably be best if you just brought her here. I already have all of my supplies."

Not a second went by before Phillip realized that that plan was a whole lot more logically than having Ms. Johnson carry her medical supplies all the way down the hills to perform an unknown medical procedure in a cold, dark, dirty shack.

"Yes, that is a much better plan ,I will go and get my family!" He ran out quicker than his entrance. He stumbled a bit but soon made it to Fief C, lit a lantern and explained to Jasmine of his visit and of Nurse Johnson's plan. They quickly wrapped up little Isabella in two blankets and Elizabeth in four, both the girls were asleep but Elizabeth's face was red and she was still very hot. Jasmine told Phillip that she had been crying she was so scared, also that Isabella went back to sleep a few minutes after he left. Then she moved to Elizabeth's spot and held her, her breathing was unsteady. Phillip took this as worse news, picked up Elizabeth and kissed her on the forehead. "It'll be okay, I promise, I promise." He whispered to his frail, sleeping daughter. He blink once to hold back tears and said another prayer. He held her with one hand and the lantern with the other as he rushed out the door. Jasmine was right behind him with Isabella in hand.

"Be careful Phillip." Jasmine gasped about halfway up the hill, he was about twenty feet in front of her, they both kept running as fast as they could. There still were two more hills to climb up but it seemed that they made it there in a flash. In a few minutes they were there banging on Hoffstine's door again, But this time they were greeted by Hoffstine himself.

He looked Phillip in the eyes, and they looked Jasmine in the eyes. After doing which he looked down at the little struggling, sleepy girls.

"So, you are Phillip and Jasmine Cassidy-the one Amy tells me of, with the two sick children?" He asked soft but quizzing."Yes sir, that is us."

Soon his voice changed to a very hasty matter, "Come in, come in-quickly now. I'm sure there's not much time left." Once they were inside to their right were three servants and two nurses. The servants looked similar to Amy and the nurses looked exactly like Nurse Johnson. Noted Phillip as they were standing next to them.

Once they were through King Hoffstine told the servants and nurses to escort the Cassidy family to the 'Second Grand Hall'. To hear that their daughters, and possibly themselves (if there was a disease in attacking the Cassidy girls then it could very well spread to Jasmine and Phillip, Daniel Hoffstine did not want half of his serfs dieing of a preventable plague.) were going to be examined in a 'Grand Hall' they figured that it would be an area more secluded, and closed in.

By two o'clock that night everyone in the palace was exhausted-especially the Cassidy's who had been asked to wake up their sleeping daughters and for themselves to not go to sleep until the grueling process was over. They had figured that Elizabeth had Mono and that Isabella had Strep Throat which if not treated could transform into Mono. Both Jasmine and Phillip were fine. Daniel sent Phillip to work in the fields. Daniel Hofferstine also said that Phillip's family could-and most likely should- live with their daughters in a private area of the castle. They stayed in the palace for almost a month before the girls were healthy again, even though Isabella was fine in two weeks it took Elizabeth three to fully recover. They had given her morphine, shots and multiple doses of medicine. The Cassidy's had become close friends with some of the servants but none of the nurses, with some of the servants they really were close to them but others were more distant.

Once they had arrived back home they found it odd to be back in such a place after seeing royalty! But, Phillip worked hard to repay Daniel Hofferstine-he had made them pay triple taxes for all the extra labor his servants had to do because of his family. This wasn't fair at all and they all knew it. Jasmine realized that it'd only be a short time before another child or any other serf would fall ill and possibilities of the same scenario happening again were not slim. She knew Daniel would just make his people pay more taxes, making him richer in their sickness! Something had to be done. She talked to her husband about it:

"Honey, just listen to me."

"I am, I know ,I am. "He sighed and paced around his tiny retreat. "Well, what are we-what are you suppose to do? Women have their place, he'll never listen to you.""Well, of course he won't, that's why I presented it to you. I want you to tell it to the other serfs while you are in the fields. We need this, you know we do and I know they'll agree."

"Yea, they'll agree then laugh at me.-We're serfs, you know how much influence we have?!" He asked frustrated.

She just stared at him.

"None, that's how much!"

"Well, will please at least talk to them?""Ughh!-Fine! I will, I'll talk to them, they'll agree then laugh and call me stupid. They know our position and you do too-and before you say anything I know you know that-but still.."

He stopped pacing the room, his eyes met hers. She was hurt, he anxiously looked away then back again. He put her hands into his.

"I'll do it okay, I will."

Then he kissed her on the mouth and forehead before embracing her.

The next day around noon he told Rick Mink of his idea-he and the whole serf village already knew of "the Cassidy's Great Stay at Hofferstine's Palace." Some of the peasants were mad at them(Phillip's family that is),and some were mad at just Phillip, while others were mad at the king for letting them stay there and for the extra health care. Most serfs did not go to the king even if they were direly sick( this was entirely their option but still they made it out like it was not and that Phillip Cassidy had some sort of special relationship with the king that his family can stay at the grand palace anytime they pleased.) But, that was only about 15 of the serf's population in a village with over seven thousand serfs, that was not much of a problem. Even still, he thought that if/when word got out of 'his' idea that some would not like it and deliberately find something to destroy it. He prayed that this would not happen. He presented the idea of organizing groups within the serf village to talk about better health care for them( this included a doctor and nurse living in the village with the serfs .) Most agreed and they liked it up until he said that after they have the true goals of this 'health care system' that they were to present it to king Hofferstine, this is when they laughed. He stared at them for about a minute, then he looked down at his lunch, closed his eyes and tried his best not to smile. He could not help it, he smiled which soon turned into a chuckle. Some of the surrounding peasants were surprised by Phillip's action. They stopped laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" A fellow serf asked him?

"Because, because I knew this would happen, I just knew it. I even told Jasmine it would."

"Wait-so Jasmine brought this idea up?" Adam Scott asked.

Phillip looked up, he was not for sure why but he did not think that his friends would like it that a woman came up with such a plan so he switched his idea.

"Um, no-he said smiling-I just told her about it and she thought it was a good idea. I told her that it was silly, that we are peasants and that we have no power-that you guys would laugh at me-which, you did."

It was silent for a bit around the camp.

"Oh, sorry Phillip, I really am." Scott responded.

"Yea, me too." Said Todd Ralphings.

Then all the ones who had laughed at Phillip had apologized and agreed that it was a good idea and that they would pass it on to some of the other serf members-just not say who came up with it. Serfs like to hold grudges, if they did so in this situation it would never work, so they kept the leader quiet.

Within a three week period the whole village knew of the health care plan. They spent two months perfecting it. They gave one of just twenty men who could read or write in the whole village, James Fareway, the privilege of writing down the rules and regulations, goals, benefits, risks and payment/loans of the plan and the serfs that were going to help it work.(Which were of course Phillip Cassidy, and James Fareway, but also, Rick Mink, Adam Scott, Todd Ralphing, and Timothy Lypes, also-secretly Jasmine Cassidy.) Jasmine helped by assigning who to what category of health/medicine and taught people how to treat injury and some illnesses!(She had picked up a few things from living with the King!) They studied their 'guidebook' for three more weeks before giving it to king Hofferstine to look over, they gave it too him a month before, "Foundation Day", on March 15. It was the kingdom's most beloved holiday, and Hofferstine's favorite-they thought this would make them a little bit more likeable if he presented it on his favorite holiday. It was when the founding of the estate was celebrated, it was founded 125 years earlier by Michael Lexington. The town shares its name, The Great Rolling Estate of Lexington, it is located in Northeast England. It was all ready to go. All that was left was to hope and pray that he would agree. He said he would tell them on Foundation Day if he would go along with it or not. They all knew it would cost a lot of money, but it would also save a lot of time and lives. They hoped he would see that.

Finally, the day came, they could now breathe! It was right after three o'clock. There had been a speech given in honor of 'this great town, and it's founder.' along with poems and prose's written about Lexington and some of its finest leaders. It was after one of the princes had read a piece of Jackson Leandfer's memoir that King Daniel Hofferstine had step up to speak to the community who was crowded into their fortress.

He cleared his throat and began, as many of you know-there has been talk and even action in the idea that the serfs may have a health care plan. I must say, it was clever and well thought out-I applaud whoever has came up with this idea. Phillip and Jasmine Cassidy smiled at one another. He continued, "I and many of my advisers have looked over the requirements, and"- he paused- "we agree to set up a health care station that is available in the serf's fief-there was applause, laughter, and shouts of joy from the serfs' section of the crowd-"but, you will only have two of our nurses and one of the castles' doctor's working with you, the rest is to be self-run!"

"Wahoo!""Yes!"

"Alright, we did it!"

And other exclamations came from the peasants! The 'Serf Health Crew' ,as they called themselves all jumped and hollered with excitement, they kissed and hugged their wives and children!

"Yes, yes, yes! We did it, Phillip, we did it!" Jasmine told him excitedly with the biggest grin on her face!

He picked her up, spun her around and kissed her.

"Yes, we did do it Jasmine, but-it was mainly you! Without you this plan would not of existed! This all is in your name!"

He called the gang over and told them the idea of changing their name, they all loved it! They sent Phillip and James up to King Hofferstine, and the rest of the village to announce that they had changed the name to, "Jasmine's Health For Serfs".

This time there were only a few smiles and claps from the audience, but it did not matter to Jasmine, as long as there was a safe and better, faster health care system set in place for the peasants!

The all celebrated once more after Foundation Day was over with. Now, they have about twenty cases a year of broken bones and 78 of sickness, with fifteen diseases, although if it is a major disease then they would still send them to Hofferestine's palace as usual. Business was great and everyone was happy and glad for the serfs! Once the Cassidy's found themselves too old to work they retired and gave it to Isabella and Elizabeth!


End file.
